We take online bookings for parties up to 6, for larger tables please call.

theteam@theroyaloakwhatcote.co.uk

01295 688100

The Royal Oak at Whatcote is a cut above the norm. It is a masterclass in

simplicityand restraint...every element is precisely crafted,

yet the cooking is never prissy.

Tom Parker Bowles| The Mail on Sunday | April 2019

our pub

Welcome to The Royal Oak, a site that started life in 1168 when "a small shelter was built to provide drinks for the workmen labouring to build the church. This grew in time to become the Royal Oak inn, which must be one of the oldest pubs in the country still in use." (Britain Express)

After an extensive refurbishment undertaken between 2016 and 2017 by local builder, Henry Jervis, Richard and Solanche Craven (formerly of The Chef's Dozen) became custodians. Our pub offers a traditional drinking space as well as a beautiful, light dining room. We offer traditional ales alongside a modern wine list and our bar is the essence of The Royal Oak. We carefully source our beers and ales from around the British Isles and our current on tap are:

We are extremely proud to offer a personal distinctive menu that changes as the seasons and our producers dictate. Using high quality local (when possible), organic and importantly to us as a rural country pub, wild ingredients.

We work closely with a small core of quality producers who are dedicated to their amazing produce, the hills surrounding the pub and the fantastic produce found within them, inform what we cook. Game is often 'shot to order' by local gamekeeper friends from the surrounding hills and estates, as well as from the exceptional David Moore game butchers in Mickleton. We also source directly from Scotland to ensure we can make the most of our wild larder. At the excellent Paddock Farm, brothers Nick and Jon rear rare breed Tamworth pigs, producing incredible pork that is extremely well thought of both locally and nationally, they also source excellent beef from farms around the pub which they then dry age for us. We also source beautifully tasty English Quail from the renowned Norfolk Quail when our hunting friends can't get into the wild for us.

Sustainable fresh fish is sent from day boats in Cornwall from Flying Fish of Cornwall as well as New Wave Seafood based in Gloucestershire. Vegetables are also carefully sourced, our favourites often coming from small scale growers. We use the excellent and locally based Daylesford Organic Farm and Vegetable Matters in Ebrington, we change our menu as often as their crops dictate, we supplement our own foraging with professionals from different regions to help us find interesting wild ingredients. For cheese we use Neal's Yard in London who have fantastic contacts with small scale producers from across the UK.

'a sublime starter of pig’s head “lasagne”: sheets of homemade dough sandwiching a squelch of ripe, fatty pork and discs of black pudding that crumble like fudge, the whole thing given a limpid cider glaze and crunch from toasted hazelnut — satisfying, giddily hedonistic, stopping just the right side of death by richness.​'

Marina O'Loughlin | The Sunday Times | March 2018

our food

sample menus

we offer an a la carte menu and a tasting menu Wednesday through to Saturday.

We also have a set menu available Wednesday, Thursday evenings and Friday and Saturday lunch (2 courses £24 3 courses £29)

On a Sunday, we offer 2 courses for £29 or three courses for £35 the menu includes roast venison with traditional trimmings or our tasting menu.

The Cravens are committed to retaining the local pub ethos in the bar....while the menu might be posher than your average pub, this is expert classical cooking of fine flavours. A real treat for their new neighbours'

The Royal Oak at Whatcote is closed all day on Mondays and Tuesdays (including bank holidays).

Very much a local pub, albeit a rather smart one. But chef owner Richard Craven is one hell of a chef. Expect game in season, from roe deer tartare to pheasant with snails. Home-made bread comes with dripping butter, and there’s excellent fish too.

Tom Parker Bowles

The 100 cosiest pubs in Britain

December 2018

FAQs

The Royal Oak is an independent husband and wife run dining pub with a limited number of covers available and our continued success relies on reservations being honoured by our guests or sufficient notice being given of any change. If you do not arrive within 30 minutes of your booking time and we have not been informed of any delay the table will have to be released, so please do give us a call if you're running late.

travel

We are 20 minutes from Stratford upon Avon.

We are 25 minutes from junction 12 on the M40, Chipping Campden and Banbury.

We are 30 minutes from Chipping Norton, Stow on the Wold and Warwick.

stay

the old kiln house, shipston on stour 07850 435408

the old manor house, halford 01789 740264

robbie's barn, fulready (airbnb - pet friendly - 1 night minimum)

honeysuckle cottage, middle tysoe (airbnb - 1 night minimum)

peach cottage, whatcote (airbnb - 3 night minimum)

as well as a few more in the surrounding villages of Oxhill, Brailles and Shipston on Stour

train stations

Banbury Station: 25 minutes

Stratford upon Avon: 25 minutes

Moreton in Marsh: 20 minutes

dietary restrictions

Due to the size of our kitchen team and the style of our food, we do not accommodate the following dietary restrictions:

vegan, severe nut allergies and egg. Please let us know of any other allergies and please do double-check with your guests.

The Royal Oak is an independent husband and wife run dining pub with a limited number of covers available and our continued success relies on reservations being honoured by our guests or sufficient notice being given of any change. If you do not arrive within 30 minutes of your booking time and we have not been informed of any delay the table will have to be released, so please do give us a call if you're running late.

travel

We are 20 minutes from Stratford upon Avon.

We are 25 minutes from junction 12 on the M40, Chipping Campden and Banbury.

We are 30 minutes from Chipping Norton, Stow on the Wold and Warwick.

train stations

Banbury Station: 25 minutes

Stratford upon Avon: 25 minutes

Moreton in Marsh: 20 minutes

dietary restrictions

Due to the size of our kitchen team and the style of our food, we do not accommodate the following dietary restrictions:

vegan, severe nut allergies and egg. Please let us know of any other allergies and please do double-check with your guests.